Formed in the tumultuous years following the United Colonial Republic's abandonment of the region in the wake of the Colonial Rebellion, the Stellar Union is a minor nation located in the Dark March region, a small sector of space situated between Terran and Xenon territory.
       
        Beginning as a series of agreements between the colonies of Farpoint, New Harmony, Harvest, Thalassa, and Reset for cooperation and mutual protection, the loose alliance existed in relative peace until 2720, when Seraph Republic and Confederate probes into the region forced the colonies within to band closer together.
       
        The Stellar Union as it exists today came into being on December 16th, 2723 with the ratification of the Articles of Union. Consisting of five Members and three Provinces, it is tightly-knit confederation with a nominal claim to the territory and star systems within the Dark March region.
       
        Though largely isolationist in nature, it nevertheless maintains relations with the Terran Federation and Xenos Empire.

Controlled Territory:

        Twenty-two claimed systems total.

        Six inhabited:

• NYQ-621 - New Harmony (Member)
  
• Location of Stellar Union Parliment
• YPU-572 - Harvest (Member)
• STS-030 - Farpoint (Member)
• KYW-056 - Thalassa (Member), Reset (Member)
• IHD-601 - Skywall (Province), Hawking (Province)
• RJZ-029 - New Rome (Province)

        Extra-national claims within nominal Stellar Union territory:

• ALS-118 - Fort Gaishu: Xenon military outpost
• CHR-371 - Fort Helman: Terran military outpost
  

Timeline:

• 2327 - 2368: Colonization of the Dark March under the direction of the United Colonial Republic.
• 2430: Farpoint, Harvest, and Reset reach self-sufficiency
• 2436 - 2445: Communications between the United Colonial Republic and the region dwindle as the UCR is forced out of the region by the        beginning of the colonial rebellion and it's forces. The governments of the colonies within assume greater and greater levels of autonomy
• 2446: Last known communication with United Colonial Republic authorities, the systems are given sovereignty weather they want it or not. The Dark March is left to fend for itself.
• 2506: Preliminary negotiations of the agreements that would eventually lead to the Stellar Union begin.
• 2510: The Inter-Colonial Trade Agreement and Dark March Treaty Organization are ratified.
• 2720: First Contact with Seraph Republic and Confederate forces. Union Guard is formed.
• 2722: Seraph and Confederate incursions into the Dark March increase in strength and aggressiveness.
• 2723: Articles of Union ratified. The modern Stellar Union comes into being.
• 2724: The Battle of BTK-105 ends in the capture of a Stellar Union picket outpost by Seraph forces.
• 2725: The New Harmony Raid ends with a Union victory over Seraph forces.
• 2728: Xenos Empire intervention. Seraph forces within the Dark March are pacified. Occupation of of the Dark March begins.
• 2749: After years of insurgency then followed by the defeat of the Xenos Empire by Terran forces, Xenos forces are forced to withdraw from the Dark March, but maintain the Fort Gaishu military base in the ALS-118 system, on the edge of Union territory closest to Xenos space. The Terrans and Xenos leave behind a mixed legacy and mixed opinions. Relations with the two nations are cool, but cordial, from then on.
• 2752: Fort Helman, a Terran military outpost, is established in CHR-371, ostensibly as a counter to Fort Gaishu. Stellar Union protests, but is unable to take action.
• 2755: The Union Defense Force is formed. The Union Guard is integrated as a branch thereof.
• 2773: Present Day

Military:

Stellar Navy:

        The first line of defense for the Stellar Union. Focusing on battlefield control, the Stellar Navy relies heavily on electronic warfare and                autonomous drones to shape battles to its advantage.

        Little more than discreet collections of modular components, Stellar Navy ship classes are numerous and ever-changing. Despite this, several distinct hulls have nevertheless emerged and persisted over the years.

        SUSN vehicles are typically identified by their plain Union Grey hulls.

• Rifter Attack Corvette - A fast-attack and scout craft that typically mounts a single Class 5 Laser and employs hit-and-run tactics. Typically deployed solo or in groups of four depending on situational demands.
• Tornado Assault Frigate - The artillery piece of the Stellar Navy. Mounting 1500mm spinal-mount coilguns, Tornados are more flying-gun than they are ship, and are typically deployed at the edges of the battlefield. Unwieldy in close engagements, Tornados are often escorted by Rifters, Starlings, or Wraiths.
• Starling Support Carrier - A small craft typically used for skirmish, patrol, and escort duties, Starlings are typically deployed in pairs and rely on their complement of eight (8) Piranha Unmanned Ethereal Vehicles (UEVs) as their primary armament. Supplementing their UEV complement, Starlings typically carry various active and passive Electronic Counter-Measure systems, ensuring that the craft, and any friendly vehicles in the immediate vicinity, are immensely difficult to target.
• Wraith Support Frigate - The Stellar Navy's primary Electronic Warfare (E-WAR) craft, Wraiths sacrifice large amounts of firepower to mount numerous ECM and ECCM systems, as well as the enhanced computer systems needed to use them. Outside of their E-WAR systems, Wraiths typically carry a pair of Piranha UEVs and a pair of Class 2 Lasers for self-defense.
• Maelstrom Attack Frigate - A close-range brawler, Maelstroms carry lack-luster armaments but can take staggering amounts of punishment due to their extraordinarily sturdy construction, and are typically used as bullet sponges, soaking up incoming fire to allow other, more fragile, ships to deliver a hammer-blow against the Maelstrom 'anvil'.
• Typhoon Attack Frigate - A mid-range attack craft that typically mounts ASM-14 anti-ship missiles and basic ECM systems.
• Tempest Attack Carrier - The Stellar Navy's only true "capital" ship, Tempests are typically deployed for line-warfare and carry dozens of Piranha, Hammerhead, Barracuda, and Owl UEVs, supplemented with manned aerospace fighters for ground-attack capability.

Union Guard:

        Service, Honor, Duty.

        The Stellar Union military's second space-based branch, the Guard's primary duties are civilian law-enforcement, search-and-rescue, and, in times of war, littoral defense. For this reason, the Union Guard operates a limited number of hull classes. Dedicated Guard craft are typically poorly armed, designed primarily for peace-time operation.

        Vehicles operated by the UG can be identified by their distinctive white/orange hulls.

• Beagle Corvette - A small craft primarily used in inhabited areas, typically used for patrols where violence is not expected and for rescue operations.
• Doberman Corvette - A small craft primarily used in frontier areas or in inhabited areas where violence is expected. Typically used for patrols, rescue operations, and littoral defense.
• Bloodhound Cutter - A mid-sized craft primarily operated outside of settled areas and designed for long-range, long-duration missions. Typically used for patrols, rescue operations, and littoral defense.